Good Times
by cooliochick5
Summary: The idea that kid, who's smile looked like it almost didn't fit on his face when the case was solved, when his favorite team was playing, when Ran entered the room, feeling so down about life that he was talking like a maniac...Heiji couldn't describe quite what that was like.
1. Chapter 1

The day is a Friday; the time, eleven o'clock at night. The Hattori house-hold is otherwise completely silent as the family of three prepare for bed, day clothes being exchange for pajamas and last minute showers being taken as the bathroom becomes free for the night. Well, this goes for the two parents, anyway; their only son had been asleep since eight o'clock that evening, beyond tired from a night-long case and hours upon hours of school work to catch up on due to it. Shizuka leans in between the door frame and the door itself, creating just enough of a gap to view her child, checking quickly to be certain that the boy was still asleep (and breathing for that matter; it wasn't uncommon for him to fall in to such a deep sleep that he appeared almost as dead as the poor victims of the cases he would investigate so many times).

With the reassurance of her son's safety, the boy curled up beneath his blanket in a way that she hadn't seen in so many years, Shizuka made her way toward her bedroom, deciding that sleep was much needed. She was nearly asleep hardly a minute later when she had been stirred by a phone ringing in the other room. It rang four times, she counted, before it was answered, a mumbled 'hello' let her know that had in fact been her son's cell phone. She would have merely brushed off the call and gone back to bed had the hushed mumbling not become a few octaves louder before becoming frantic.

In the other room, seventeen year old Heiji Hattori was awoke by the ring of his cell phone. He never did like his ringtone very much for this specific reason; it was loud enough to wake him from even the soundest sleep. Slightly discombobulated from his abrupt nap, Heiji looked about the darkened room, eyes falling onto the digital clock beside his bed, slightly fuzzy, red numbers reading 11:14 pm. With the ringing continuing somewhere beneath his sheets, Heiji sank back beneath them, pulling the blanket over his eyes before opening them back up, finding it much easier to see the glow of his cell phone that way. It was on his left, somewhere near his knee (he wondered out loud just how it wound up there in the first place). He reached for it, though it took a few tries due to minimal effort on his part, glancing quickly at the caller I.D. The light of the newly unlocked device burned his eyes, causing him to slam them shut again. Despite this, he had still managed to see the name, a small smirk already spreading across his tired face. Having done it so many times before, Heiji answered the phone without opening his eyes, allowing himself to relax into a pillow behind his head,

"Hey, Kudo." He tried to sound as awake and cheerful as possible, always hating the idea that if the shrunken detective could see him now, he would reprimand him for being lazy. Not that the Osaka detective could help it; he was tired, damn it!

"H-hey..." Was the boy's only response, causing Heiji to actually open his eyes. In the back of his mind, he had already begun rummaging through reasons as to why the response was so...odd.

That was the thing about talking with Kudo; knowing him as both Kudo and Conan, Heiji often found himself replacing the child's voice with the adult's voice. Everything Conan ever said or did, the dark skinned male automatically translated as Kudo's actions. When the boy would call him, he'd picture Shinichi's stupid face as he rambled on about some case he had solved recently. It never ceased to entertain the older boy though, usually resulting in an hour long dispute that ended with one of the two visiting for the weekend or hanging up, only to call back an hour later.

However, that was not the case today.

It was Conan who had called and it was Conan who was speaking. Whatever it was he needed to talk about, Heiji knew he better be wide awake for. Sitting up slowly in bed and adjusting the phone between his ear and shoulder, Heiji used his now free hands to push the covers off of his body, getting up to pace the room in a pathetic effort to wake himself up enough to pay attention.

The irritating silence on the other end was enough to convince him that Conan may have hung up already, which he was prepared to check at the boy not suddenly cleared his throat, "Did I wake you u-"

"No, no. I've been sleepin' all afternoon, don't worry about it!" The Osaka teen waves his hand, despite the other boy's inability to actually see the gesture. The initial lie is followed by silence, causing the dreadful feeling that Heiji just couldn't seem to shake to grow, "So...solve any good cases lately?"

"Yeah..." Conan replies in a dejected tone, the sound of creaking bed springs sounding over the phone. Guessing that the boy had been sitting, rather than laying on the bed up until this point, Heiji listened a bit more carefully for any other background noises. There was no TV on it seemed, or if it was on, it was too quiet to be heard. Same went for any other person who may have been at the home, if they were there. The boy cleared his throat yet again, breaking off any other thought that the other detective's tired mind had been formulating, "That's not why I called..."

Had it been said in any other voice than the one currently coming through the receiver, Heiji would have retorted with something snappy, maybe even a tad perverted, but he knew now was not the time (which was pretty shocking, even for him).

"Uh...is everythin' alright Kudo?" Heiji had slowed his pacing to a stop, reaching around in the dark for his office chair, finding that even the mere act of walking was too distracting for him. Every second of silence seemed like an eternity as he waited for any response for his friend. The one he got hardly settled his nerves,

"I just called...to make sure..."

"Make sure what? Kudo, you aren't makin' any sense." The older male found himself picking frantically at his own blanket that laid haphazardly on his bed, needing something to keep his temper from flaring.

He was never sure why he did that; retort to anger when in situations that really didn't call for it.

"I'm about to crack...I know it. I can't keep living this way..." The chilling part of this phrase isn't what the child said, but how he said it.

In all his time of knowing Conan, he had never sounded so purely childish up until this point, "Kudo, don't be thinkin' like that. You just gotta try and remembe-"

"I'm calling to make sure you'll be there when I do. When I tell Ran...I need you to do something for me then-"

"No! Whatever it is yer about ta say, no!" Heiji is suddenly standing, his chair crashing to the floor as he now searches his room for a pair of shoes to throw on, putting his hat on with his only free hand.

"Heiji...If I can't do it...if I can't tell her-"

"Kudo, listen ta me, you aren't gonna tell her." Heiji relaxed his tone a bit in an attempt to fain control over the situation, though the boy on the other end of the line was far from convinced.

"I can't take living like Conan anymore...I keep getting so close to coming back...to telling her how I feel...just to have it ripped away again...it's like living a nightmare over and over again...I don't want to do it anymore..."

Heiji stops in his tracks, having one arm in the sleeve of his jacket by the time he processed what his friend had just said, "Kudo...where's Ran?"

"Not home. No one is home, actually. That's why I called you."

"Alright, well, I'll be there in a few hours. Stay where you are and don't hang up this phone." Heiji stumbled down the darkened hallway, despite knowing it so well in daylight hours. He grabbed his motorcycle helmet off the table beside the front door, opening it just enough to let him out, but not let the cold night air in.

Shizuka had since risen from her bed, making her way to the door just in time to see her only son disappear behind it, leaving yet again without a proper explanation as to where he was going and why.

Today, he didn't have the time to do so.

A/N: AH, it feels great to be back! This two-parter is inspired by Finger Eleven's 'Good Times'. I should have a few more Detective Conan fics up soon, so look out for those!

Disclaimers: I own nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

The ride to Tokyo never changed; the train he was on was still the same, the route there and back was still the same, but this ride was nothing like those in the past. Instead of cursing quietly with the lack of things to do, wondering if the trip was even worth while, Heiji was sitting rather straight in his seat, saying anything that would come to mind in an attempt to get a response from his shrunken friend. The responses were usually a short laugh or some sort of noise in the background, usually pacing or something getting knocked over or set back up or something like that.

"Ya know...A plane ride probably woulda been quicker than the train..." Heiji turned his eyes toward the window, watching the passing scenery; it was really the only thing keeping him from jumping out of his seat, demanding that the train go faster. With the same lack of response as earlier, he add, "But I can't have my phone on the plane..."

This comment did get a response from the boy on the other end, however, if was just a small laugh.

'Well...it's better than nothing...' Heiji thought to himself, taking the laugh as a good sign. Leaning slightly to the right, the Osaka detective stopped a woman returning to her seat from the bathroom, asking her for the time. She looked at a watch on her wrist before responding, "One in the morning. Where are you headed anyhow?" She asked politely, bracing herself against the arm rest opposite of the teen.

"Tokyo...I got a friend out there- well, he's kind of like my little brother, ya see." Heiji offered her a grin, hoping the response was enough to get her to leave already; not that he felt like being rude or anything, he just really needed to get back to his, admittedly, one-sided conversation with the shrunken detective. Lucky for him, the woman nodded, returning to her seat, leaving the teen by himself yet again, though, as soon as she left, he wish she'd come back. The silence on the train and over the phone was killing the detective; he just wanted to get off this damn train already, get to Kudo, and get this whole damn thing figured out!

The frustration from earlier had returned and Heiji found himself chewing at his bottom lip in an attempt to refrain from letting that anger show. He hated to admit it, but honestly, he was pissed. Not directly at Shinichi, but with what he was thinking, what he was saying.

He sounded like one of the damn murders they spent so much time dealing with! That wasn't like him at all. Kudo would never say things like that...Conan wouldn't say anything like that.

Balancing the phone on his shoulder again, Heiji reclined in his seat slightly, crossing his arms over his chest, allowing his thoughts to collect themselves in a neat little pile in his mind so he could analyze them more carefully before he got to Kudo. Actually, now that he really thought about it, the teen had never been in a situation such as this before, even with all his years of being a detective. Sure, he's seen bodies, killers, deranged minds, and had to talk a few of these people down from their delirium. But that was easy; he had never been close to any of these people.

He didn't know these people on a personal level. He didn't know their favorite person, favorite sport, what ticked them off or what made them the happiest person alive. It was easy when he didn't know these things; he wasn't effected by them that way. To Heiji, all they were was mentally disturbed people.

Kudo was not mentally disturbed. He liked Ran, soccer, hated when the Osaka teen would tease him mercilessly but became the happiest person as soon as he solved a case.

The idea that kid, who's smile looked like it almost didn't fit on his face when the case was solved, when his favorite team was playing, when Ran entered the room, feeling so down about life that he was talking like a maniac...Heiji couldn't describe quite what that was like.

He would never admit it out loud, but no matter how he tried to deny it, Kudo was like a best frien- no. He was more than that. He was like a brother to him. Both Conan and Shinichi. Heiji knew that ever since he first met the kid. Immediately, they could read each other's thoughts it seemed. They worked better as a team than as rivals, even with their little competitions. If Heiji knew any better, he'd say that it was Kudo who was keeping him safe from himself...now it was his turn to do the same for him. It killed him really; this feeling of needing to protect his 'brother' like this, but what could he do about it? The universe decides things and sometimes, you just had to go with it.

The slow of the train tore Heiji from his thoughts as he glanced back out the window to make sure he was at his stop before rising from his seat, heading rather quickly to the door. As soon as he was out of the train, Heiji was running off down the straight, having long since forgot to check whether or not Kudo was still on the phone or not. At that moment, he was trying to figure out more important things, like the lay-out of Tokyo. Sure, he had been here many times before, but tonight, he was having one hell of a time remembering where everything was.

"Fifth block, it's the fifth block!" Heiji mumbled out loud to himself in between pants of breath, finally finding the road he needed to be on (though the sidewalk would have probably been a better idea). Once the road leading to the agency was found, Heiji went in to auto pilot, letting his mind slip away once more as his body took him to the agency. By the time he reached the door, he was out of breath, nearly slamming in to the wall beside the door in an attempt to stop himself from charging in there, demanding that Kudo stop acting like an ahou!

Okay. now, was not the time for that.

Taking a deep breath, Heiji decided that knocking would be a lot more polite. Much to his surprise, the moment his knuckles met the door, it screeched open. Despite his dramatic entrance, Heiji didn't enter right away. He didn't know why, but his body wouldn't allow him to more forward; instead, he stood in the door way, eyes widened a bit just to make sure he didn't miss any details as they scanned the room. The room was completely silent, contrary to how it usual was when Ran and Mouri were home. Speaking of which, where were they tonight?

Taking a step in to the quite house, Heiji began making his way toward Conan's room. Having stayed in there so many times before, he knew exactly where it was, though instead of kicking down the door like he usually did on his sudden visits, he just stood there, mouth opened slightly, still trying to breath normally again while his hands fidgeted at his sides.

'What are ya doin', ahou! Just open the damn door!' his mind screamed at him but his body did nothing. He knew why this time; it was a thought that made his hands clench in to fists. There had been one too many times where he had opened the door and saw something he wish he hadn't on the other side.

What if this was one of those times.

He would have continued to simply stand there, looking stupid, had he not heard the soft squeak of bed springs just beyond the door. Breathing a sigh of relief, his fingers found the door knob, turning it and opening the door just enough to glance inside.

There was Kudo, laying on his back, phone positioned by his ear as if he intended to leave it there for awhile, eyes closed.

"Hattori..." he said in a stone-cold voice, acknowledging his friend. Heiji only nodded to the greeting, now actually stepping in to the room. He automatically found his usual spot on the floor, having missed it after a few weeks without a visit, staring up at the ceiling like he did most nights here.

"Kudo...are ya really goin' ta do it?" Heiji's eyes never left he ceiling, not that they needed to. The silence returned to the room again while Conan found the words to say.

"You mean telling Ran?...not yet." He said simply, his eyes never opening, his body never moving. Heiji closed his eyes as well, folding his arms behind his head,

"The way ya made it sound on the phone, I thought ya were gonna kill yourself or something." Heiji tried to keep the lightheartedness in his voice, but he was starting to fail miserably. The silence returned, causing him to sit up and actually look at the child on the bed. He had remained in his original position, not one damn thing about him changing. Heiji's eyes widened ever so slightly as he began to piece it together.

"Ya ahou...ya can't be serious..." He stared in disbelief as a small smile spread across Conan's face. It wasn't the one that took up most of his face, just one he put there to make everything seem okay.

"I couldn't do it...I thought of so many ways to do it...but I can't." Conan sat up finally, letting his legs drape over the side of the bed. His eyes remained closed as he returned to his silence. Heiji could hardly believe what he was hearing, using all of his self-control to keep from grabbing the kid and shaking him. He would have too had the silence lasted any longer, but instead, it was Conan who broke it.

"Heiji...does this... make me crazy?"

"What? Crazy? No way!" Heiji sits back on his heels, trying to be at the same height as the boy on the bed, or at least high enough to see his face. It really doesn't help much as Conan is staring down so far that Heiji briefly wonders how he hasn't toppled over yet. The silence resumes, this time, both boys are at a loss of words, though they had different reasons for that.

The silence didn't seem so heavy this time around. With Conan's confession, Heiji felt a little more in control; at least he knew what was going on. Even so, it still didn't change the nervous feeling he had.

"Have ya...told anyone else yet? That ya have those thoughts?" Heiji has now found interest in the floor as well, finding a small stain on the carpet far more interesting than his friend's face. The placeholder smile returns to Conan's face as he answers with a simple, "Nope."

"Ah, Kudo, Kudo, Kudo. What am I ta do with ya?" Heiji pinches the bridge of his nose to fain irritation. He had really only down it to maintain his composure, suddenly all too aware of the situation he was now in.

"Don't worry too much about it...I'm not stupid...with my luck, the Black Organization will take me down before anyth-"

"Ahou, quit talking like that!" The older boy cut the child off, raising partly to his feet before finding the ground again, "This isn't like ya, Kudo, not at all." Conan only laughs, though its the type of laugh that one would only use in the case of a terrible joke. For the first time since Heiji got there, the shrunken detective looked up at him, glasses slightly skewed on his face. He has since recovered from his laughter and is ready for a real conversation.

"Heiji, of course it's not like me! I'm trapped in this body. Shinichi is a high school detective, not a seven year old. This isn't me..."

"No, yer right," Heiji waves a hand in front of him to cut the child off yet again, "Ya aren't who everyone thinks ya ta be. But that just change a damn thing. Yer Kudo Shinichi, just takin' on another form. Bein' a kid doesn't make ya any different...well, mentally anyway. Ya've found ways around this before, yer doin' shit ten times cooler than what ya were doin' as an adult. Come on Kudo, try to remember the good times...being a kid can't be all that bad."

"I can't tell Ran I love her..."

"Sure ya can and ya won't get slapped when ya do." Heiji held up his index finger on his left hand, as if to remember an addition comment, but forgot it half way. Conan began to snicker just a bit, a true smile finding his face. Heiji joined in, though his laughter was more out of relief than anything. At least Kudo calmed down a bit.

"Ya know what else is great about ya bein' a kid?" Heiji mused, getting to his feet. Conan lifts his head to look up, a raised eyebrow indicating his curiosity. He hardly had time to raise the other eyebrow as he is suddenly grabbed under the arms and hoisted into the air, flailing and screaming,

"HEY, PUT ME DOWN!" He thrashed violently as Heiji held him up higher, his laughter echoing through the small apartment.

"Admit it, Kudo, there are some perks ta bein' a kid."

"How is this a perk?" Conan stopped flailing, glaring daggers at the teen. Heiji tossed him back on to the bed, nearly doubling over in laughter,

"Well, it's pretty funny at least." Heiji wipes a tear from his eye, looking back at Conan, who has since returned to his previous position on the bed. This time, it's merely to prove a point.

"Hey, Hattori..."

"Yeah, Kudo?" Heiji seats himself back on the floor, the mood in the room already lighter than before. Conan smirks a bit, before going serious yet again,

"Thanks for stopping by. I don't know many who'd do that for a friend three hours away."

"No problem, Kudo. I wouldn't be able to sleep knowin' ya were over here sulking by yerself." The older male returns to his previous spot as well, getting comfortable. It's already three in the morning and though he knew he'd get the talking to of a life time from his mother and Kazuha when he got back, Heiji decided to enjoy whatever peace he could get here. He was just about to dose off when a pillow collides with his head.

"If you're gonna sleep over, you can have a pillow." Conan rolls on to his side, smirking at the irritated detective on the floor.

"What, no blanket? How cold, Kudo," Heiji rolls on to his side as well, tucking his pillow beneath his arm, "Where's Ran and the old man anyhow?"

"Ran's at a sleepover and the old man went out somewhere."

"Figures. Well, looks like yer gonna need a babysitter." Heiji rolls back on to his back, causing Conan to laugh.

"So you're spending the night?"

"I'll leave by six. My mom is gonna kill me." Heiji waved his hand yet again, already feeling a headache coming on at a scolding he had yet to receive

"Why don't you call her?" Conan mused this time, resting his hand on his palm. Heiji only shrugs, setting his phone on the floor beside his head,

"I'll call her later, I'm too tired to get yelled at."

"So I did wake you." The shrunken detective concluded, admiring his own detective skills.

"Nah, I told ya, I was asleep all evenin', don't worry about it." Heiji readjusts his pillow, allowing himself to get comfortable on the floor.

Oh well, at least Conan was doing better. However, it was pretty interesting to explain the next day when Ran had returned to find both detectives asleep in Conan's room, unaware of just how late they slept in.


End file.
